THE METAL TIMES: From Topeka Kansas we have SARKOPTIC as the Unsigned Band of the Month for June, 2020. By Jeremy Amack

From Topeka Kansas we have SARKOPTIC as the Unsigned Band of the Month for June, 2020.

https://www.facebook.com/sarkoptic/

We spoke with the band in our extensive interview here's the discussion:

1.) What's the name of your band and where are you located.

Josh: Sarkoptic.......we're from Topeka.

2.) Where did you all meet and describe to us how you formed your band.

Josh: Jimbo, believe it or not, is my father in law. He had been jammin' with Brian (Cupcake) for a while, and almost every time I saw him playin' videos from practice on his TV, I asked to try out. They only gave me a tryout 'cause askin' every week was getting on their nerves. Worked out though. We had a bassist for a little while that left and was soon replaced with Richie.

Jimbo: Cupcake was in a band with my brother, so I knew him from that.

3.) How did you decide your band name?

Josh: The name Sarkoptic came from a guitar strap from Jimbo in middle school. He wrote the name on the strap 'cause he thought it sounded cool or somethin'..... well definitely better than 'Asshole Flavored Cupcakes' (what they called themselves for a while) lmao!

Jimbo: I started playing guitar the summer before 7th grade, and I had kind of had a blank guitar strap. I took it into art class and a friend and I drew the name on there. I didn't even know what it meant until I rediscovered the strap a few years ago.

4.) How long have you been a band?

Josh: I think it’s been about 3 or 4 years now. Not very long but long enough to tell we’ve grown individually and as a band.

5.) Tunings?

Jimbo: Drop C#

6.) Bands you have played with?

Josh: I was in a grungy band called Skunkfeed in high school as guitarist/vocalist. We covered songs from Dinosaur Jr. and Sonic Youth with about 9 of our own songs. Sarkoptic is the first metal band I’ve been in.

Jimbo: I was the guitar player for Confined in Flesh for about 5 years.

7.) Major accomplishments?

Josh: Getting to record a high quality EP and be in a German magazine has been the highlights for me personally.

Jimbo: Honestly having the music I've created be professionally recorded. Even if nothing else happens, I'll die happy with that.

8.) Goals?

Josh: To share the stage with someone big. And record a full length album.

Jimbo: For this band to be recognized worldwide.

9.) Tell us about your Biggest/best show?

Josh: Man I couldn’t tell ya. It seems our coolest shows are ones that aren’t venues. A birthday party out in the middle of nowhere or some old folks bingo hall/bar in Clay Center, KS. All of those have had their own stories to tell. What I want is a torn the fuck up house party show. Hahaha that’s where it’s at.

Jimbo: All of them have something great or memorable about them. I can't rank them.

10.) Any radio airplay?

Josh: Yeah man, we have been playing on 106.6 The Blast, Hellfire Radio and a couple others but no major station or anything. But the underground is where it’s at and I’m happy here.

11.) Any Label intrest yet?

Josh: There was an opportunity but we didn’t take it. Basically it was a glorified Italian PR company. And we are already satisfied with both Metal Coffee PR and our own self promoting. If someone like Napalm Records or some shit like that got ahold of us damn, it would take some serious thought. I think in the end we all have solid damn good well paying jobs and the offer would have to be spot on and have the opportunity to make what I’m making now. Or at least offer to pay for an album recording lmao!

12. Let's discuss the demographics of your social media accounts.

Where are people listening to you the most based off of your Spotify and YouTube, etc accounts?

Josh: Honestly that’s Jimbo’s mug 'o beer. But I believe most our views come straight off Facebook. We have a few that have hit well over 5k which is big for us when that occurs.

Jimbo: Probably Facebook, since I think that's where most people see what's going on in the world. I like to put our music to videos. That catches people's attention.

13.) Any awards like Battle of the Band winner, Band of the Month, etc?

Josh: Other than Band of the Month for June. We don’t enter a lot of local competitions or anything.

14.) How are you marketing your band?

Josh: Dude, almost anyway we can think and afford to do. We just recently had a merch page added to our Facebook page. Plus we try to come up with the most unique merch ideas in our area that people aren’t doing around here. The hard part about that is we don’t settle for shitty products. Anything you get from us at a show we spent extra for quality. Check out our posters and shot glasses lol. Beastmode!

15.) Let's discuss your gear.

Josh: Right now I use an average SM58 that any vocalist uses. Still lookin' for a vocal processor that I like though. As a vocalist the gear isn’t all that exciting until you get into that realm of things. Most of what you hear is me with just a little reverb, but not a lot. And for that I use a basic Boss pedal.

Jimbo: Guitars: Washburn Dime ST Pro, Jackson Kelly w/ Alpha & Omega pickups, Jackson Rainbow Crackle are the ones I use the most with the band, but I have 10 more I can choose from. Amps and cabs: Bugera 333XL Infinium on top of a Mesa/Boogie 412 cab. Dime D100 half stack. I run those both together. I also have a PRS MT 15 and some older Peavey cabs that sound great.

16.) Day jobs?

Josh: I work at the Goodyear tire plant.

Jimbo: I'm a trucker and stuff. Cupcake and Richard both work at a dog food plant.

17.) Describe your music to us in one sentence.

Josh: Nu Groove or Gruv Metal if you will lol.

Jimbo: Undeniably catchy riffs to groove to.

18.) Influences?

Josh: I hate being another guy that says this, but a little of everything, but not bands as a whole. I really listen to vocal techniques and “flow” of word play. I like double and triple and triple entendres in lyrics, metaphors and damn good story telling. If what ever artist I’m listing to has one of those features to their writing and does it well, I’ll love it.

Jimbo: Dime, of course. And my late brother Steve.

19.) What would your band like to accomplish if you were signed?

Josh: To make high quality albums without it breaking the bank. To play with other bands that have a huge following and build our own. And above all man, the experience of meeting the bastards out there doing the same shit we are. Playin' good metal and havin' a blast performing for others that have the same passion for the shit we do.

Jimbo: To still be able to have the drive to be better every day. To not be content.

Let's talk about the music from SARKOPTIC now..

BEASTMODE: ENGAGE